Reba McEntire is ready for her chair-turn as a coach on the new season of The Voice. It was announced that Season 24 of the competition show will have a two-night premiere on Monday, September 25th and Tuesday, September 26th.
Eric Church and Josh Turner will be featured on this weekend’s CMT Hot 20 Countdown. Tune in on Saturday (July 22nd) and Sunday (July 23rd) at 9am ET/8am CT on CMT.
Toby Keith will receive the first-ever “Country Icon Award” at this year’s first People’s Choice Country Awards. The award, presented by Blake Shelton, will be given to Toby for his work as a musician, humanitarian and entrepreneur. The People’s Choice Country Awards, hosted by Little Big Town, will air live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House September 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and Peacock.
Eric Church , along with close friends and family, celebrated the opening of his new exhibit, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, during an invite-only reception on Wednesday night (July 13th). The new display explores North Carolina native’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his bigger-than-life stage presence and career.
“I have such respect, immense respect for this place, for this room that we’re in,” says Eric, says of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “For what’s been built here, not just in country music, but in all of music history. It is very special and very unprecedented. I am honored to be here.”
The collection includes stage costumes, tour memorabilia, handwritten lyrics to such songs as “Smoke A Little Smoke” and “Monsters,” guitars, awards, handwritten notes from George Strait and Bruce Springsteen, as well as a gold record plaque from Taylor Swift with a note thanking him for playing too long after he was kicked off the Rascal Flatts tour in 2006.
“The best part for me, both of my kids you know from two and three months old, they grew up on the tour bus. And when you’re in the tornado and you’re going through it, you forget all these things that happened. And to beside my boys tonight as we walk through and went through those tidbits, but when they were one or two or three, they don’t remember that, that was my favorite part of this entire exhibit — experiencing it again with them,” he says. “This is an unbelievable honor for me. The people that I love and respect are here and have been very incremental to me being here. I will say that there is something to doing it your own way, and you can still get to where you want to go if you do it that way.”
The exhibit runs through June 2024 and is included with regular museum admission.
Eric will also be the latest Artist-in Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame–only the 18th–and he’ll curate one-of-a-kind performances over two shows on August 29th and August 30th.
The superstar returns to his Outsiders Revival Tour on Friday (July 14th) in Cincinnati and in St Louis on Saturday (July 15th).
Audio / Eric Church addresses the invitation-only crowd at Wednesday night's (July 12th) reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Eric Church (CMHOF exhibit) 1 OC: …to be here. :16 “I have such respect, immense respect for this place, for this room that we’re in. For what’s been built here, not just in country music, but in all of music history. It is very special and very unprecedented. I am honored to be here.”
Audio / Eric Church talks about his favorite part of touring his exhibit.
Eric Church (CMHOF exhibit) 2 OC: …it that way. : “The best part for me, both of my kids you know from two and three months old, they grew up on the tour bus. And when you’re in the tornado and you’re going through it, you forget all these things that happened. And to beside my boys tonight as we walk through and went through those tidbits, but when they were one or two or three, they don’t remember that, that was my favorite part of this entire exhibit — experiencing it again with them. This is an unbelievable honor for me. The people that I love and respect are here and have been very incremental to me being here. I will say that there is something to doing it your own way, and you can still get to where you want to go if you do it that way.”
Following yesterday’s premiere of “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” on Hulu, the Country Music Association revealed the documentary will make its broadcast debut July 18th at 9pm ET/8pm CT on ABC. The 75-minute special, which features Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and many others, explores the festival’s 1972 debut of Fan Fair.
Keith Urban has been announced as one of the nominees for the 2023 class for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s nominated alongside Steven Curtis Chapman, Martie Maguire and Gillian Welch and David Welch (nominated as a team) in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artists category. The 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala will take place October 11th at the Music City Center. The nominees for the Contemporary Songwriters category are Casey Beathard, Shawn Camp, Jim Collins, Don Henry, David Lee Murphy, Leslie Satcher, Darrell Scott and Victoria Shaw.
Jordan Davis released his Apple Music Sessions live EP on Thursday (July 6th). You can watch him perform “Tucson Too Late,” “Church In A Chevy” and a cover of Foy Vance’s “Guiding Light” (which features special guest Sam Hunt).
.@JordanCWDavis and @AppleMusic have teamed up to bring you an exclusive Live EP bundle featuring special performances of "Tucson Too Late," "Church In A Chevy," and "Guiding Light" that you don't want to miss!
— Jordan Davis Music (@JordanCWDavis) July 6, 2023
Eric Church has been announced as part of a new group of Nashville city leaders of a 16-person Music City Host Committee whose goal is to book high-profile events for the upcoming enclosed Tennessee Titans stadium in Nashville. The committee includes former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Tennessee State University head football coach Eddie George and many others, to look at a potential Super Bowl, the 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four and a college football National Championship game reportedly on the list, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
Bill Anderson will be celebrated by the Grand Ole Opry as the longest-serving Opry member in the show’s history on July 22nd. Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Jeannie Seely, Ricky Skaggs are scheduled to perform.
The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate member @WhisperinBill as the longest-serving Opry member in the show’s history on Saturday, July 22. pic.twitter.com/VvAsWT24Hv
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain and tyranny.
The Declaration of Independence, which is on public display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, however, he worked with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to come up with the final document. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776, but the actual signing of the document took place August 2nd, 1776. Now, the Fourth of July holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts.
Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.
Brad Paisley is set to headline “Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th” celebration. The downtown event in Nashville will present one of the country’s largest July 4th fireworks show, which will be synchronized to live music from the Nashville Symphony. Brad, who is headlining the show for the second time (his last appearance was in 2021), will be joined on the bill by The War And Treaty, Ben Rector, Tiera Kennedy and singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim. The event is partnering with The Store, a free referral-based grocery store founded by Brad and his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley. One dollar from the sale of each event T-shirt will benefit The Store.
Darius Rucker has been tapped to perform on CNN’s The Fourth In America on July 4th for the 247th anniversary of the United States’ independence. Other musical performances include Alanis Morrisette, The All-American Rejects, Demi Lovato, Duran Duran, Flo Rida, Leon Bridges, Post Malone, Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Zac Brown Band, The Plain White T’s, and more. The special, which will feature performances and firework shows from around the country (including Nashville, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and more), will air live from 7pm ET to 1am ET on CNN.
Maddie & Tae will celebrate Independence Day by performing “This Land Is Your Land” as part of the PBS TV special, A Capitol Fourth. Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Chicago, Babyface, Renee Fleming, Charles Esten and the Broadway cast of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, among others, will also perform. The live broadcast will air beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Tuesday (July 4th) on PBS.
We're thrilled to share the all-star lineup for A Capitol Fourth! Don't miss the live broadcast on PBS at 8/7c, Tuesday, July 4th.
Alan Jackson (fave 4th of July memory) OC: …very cool. :58 Well, this one is hard to beat. A couple of years ago, maybe longer than that now, I had an old boat in Florida. It’s like an old antique motor yacht, and it was kind of a cool old boat. I had taken that boat, I’ve always wanted to take it up north like to New York and up in that area, up in the northeast where it’s so pretty. So, we took the boat up there and Denise and the girls, we all went up. They like going to New York City, which I don’t really care about going to the city. So, I got to stay in my boat there at the harbor tied up, which was cool anyway. So they spent time in the city a few days and then that was Fourth of July, and we went out in the Hudson River that night and they shot the fireworks off and we were anchored out in front of the Statue of Liberty and New York City was behind us, and the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks were going off sitting on that boat. That was the coolest thing and my girls still talk about that. I mean, that was the coolest thing on Fourth of July I can ever remember. I can’t top that one probably. It was emotional sitting there watching the Statue of Liberty and thinking about all that. It was very cool.”
Audio / Billy Currington talks about his favorite Fourth of July memories.
Billy Currington (4th of July) OC: …of my life. :16 “My best memories would be hanging out with my mom, brother and sister on the beach on Tybee Island right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. We’d go there every year, and we’d light our own fireworks and watch the ones that they had for us. They were the best times, some of the best times of my life.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood recalls one of her favorite Fourth of July memories.
Carrie Underwood (favorite Fourth of July memory) OC: …work out. :51 “I think my favorite Fourth of July memory would be going to the fireworks stand and picking out which fireworks I wanted to do. I must’ve been like 7 or 8, and I came home and made a list of what order I wanted to do them in, because I wanted to put a show on for Mom and Dad, and of course I couldn’t wait until it was dark outside (laughs). So, I made my Mom and Dad get the lawn chairs and come out to the backyard and watch some not very dramatic fireworks at like six o’clock in the evening, but I was so proud of myself, and I was so proud of the show that I put on. So, I feel like that was a little training for what I do now – putting on shows, figuring out how it’s all going to work out.”
Audio / Dalton Dover recalls memories of the Fourth of July when he was a young boy.
Dalton Dover (Fourth of July) OC: …back then, you know? :17 “We would go out on the lake. We’d fish all day. I just remember my mom and my uncles and my grandpa, they would all go get fireworks across the Alabama line and we would all just be in the yard shooting ‘em. We’d have sparklers and all kinds of stuff. Even the littlest, cheapest fireworks, we thought were huge back then, you know?”
Audio / Darius Rucker talks about what the Fourth of July means to him.
Darius Rucker (4th of July) 1 OC: …in the world. :24 “The Fourth of July to me is a day to celebrate freedom. We get to travel all over the world and see a lot of stuff, and I’ve been to a lot of countries that aren’t like ours and that’s when you really appreciate the fact that you can do whatever you want. As long as you’re willing to deal with the consequences, you can do whatever you want, you know? [I] appreciate those soldiers who died for us to be sitting here doing this, and we live in the greatest country in the world.”
Audio / Darius Rucker enjoys setting off fireworks.
Darius Rucker (fireworks) OC: …off once. :15 “Oh, I love fireworks. We had the bottle rocket fights and all that good stuff. I was the typical little crazy kid, you know. In South Carolina, it was always legal, so we shot fireworks when it was legal. We did all that sort of stuff. I almost blew my hand off once.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley says the people of this country are what define America.
Dierks Bentley (people are America) OC: …all about. :17 “The definition of America to me, you know, getting a chance to travel across the country on a tour bus, stepping upon stages whether it be county fairs, state fairs, arenas, rock bars, the Opry stage, anywhere across the country and looking out at that crowd and seeing people. The people, to me, are what America’s all about.”
Audio / Eric Church recalls his family activities on the Fourth of July holiday.
Eric Church (4th of July) OC: …freedoms. 1:17 “The Fourth of July for me, growing up we would always go to the lake, we didn’t live on the lake but we would all go to the lake. Had a buddy who had a pontoon and we would always get on the pontoon and you go out and you’d tie all the pontoons together and just have a big time. This was before, I was younger then, the adults were having more fun than we were, you know it was just to go swim in the water and shoot off fireworks. Basically, water tailgating is what it was. And then as we got older, same thing…we would just, us younger kids had our own boat and we had as much fun as the adults.”
Audio / Jon Langston says his plans for Fourth of July are always different.
Jon Langston (Fourth of July) OC: …either way. :17 “The Fourth of July is usually different every year. We’re usually playing shows, or we’re out on the lake or at the beach, or sometimes I’ve said, ‘I’m staying at home,’ shooting fireworks off the back porch or something. That’s probably not the safest thing, but we have a good time either way.”
Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CHILDHOOD FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES.
Jordan Davis (Fourth of July) 2 OC: …really cool. :17 “Probably baseball games, firework shows at baseball games. We’d go to Shreveport Captains games, so yeah, we’d do that or barbecues and fireworks. I can remember being on the lake for a couple of Fourth of Julys. We’d take the boat out and we’d watch the downtown fireworks show from the boat, which was really cool.”
Audio / Jordan Davis has a few days off from the Gravel & Gold Tour, so he plans to cookout for family and friends for the Fourth of July holiday.
Jordan Davis (Fourth of July cooking out) OC: …a bunch of food. :29 “I love cooking for people. I love having people over to the house, grilling hot dogs, cooking/making brisket, just being around the people you want to be around with – drinking beer, watching baseball. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting old, but like my idea of having fun now is having people over to the house and just playing host, and so that’s exactly what we’re going to do this year; have some friends and family over and hang out with the kids, let ‘em run around the sprinklers and cook a bunch of food.”
Audio / Josh Turner talks about the fireworks “wars” his family would have when he was growing up.
Josh Turner (fireworks) OC: …of money. [laughs] :20 “Yeah, we had fireworks around, especially my Daddy’s family. All the individual families had a lot of competition with each other and tried to outdo each other to try to see who had the biggest and baddest fireworks and all that. [laughs] My daddy, I think, was the smartest one. He just went out and bought maybe $25 worth of fireworks and let everybody else put on the big show, so he saved a lot of money.” [laughs]
Audio / Keith Urban recalls coming over to America for the first time.
Keith Urban (coming to America 1st time) OC: …as I could. :39 “1989 was the first year I came to the States, and it had always been my goal, but I had no plan on how to get here. It was just a case of keep playing, keep getting better at what you do, and then hopefully, somehow, some way I’ll end up over here. The guy who was managing me at the time, we just planned a trip over here – it was actually for the New Music Seminar in New York. And we came over for that, and then we did a trip down to Nashville, and I shopping my little demo around. I think I humored everybody more than anything else [laughs] with my tragic, ill-fitting demo for the time. So, I left there, but I was just so committed to coming back as quick as I could.”
Audio / Kip Moore says he’s very proud of the U.S. military and can’t imagine having to do what they do to protect the United States.
Kip Moore (Fourth of July-soldier) OC: …every day. :32 “I’m a very, very patriotic person, proud of the country that I live in, and I’m very proud of what those guys do for us each and every day, and I don’t take it for granted one bit. My grandparents were in the military, fought wars, and I’ve seen the battle that they go through, just the horror of remember things. When I start to think that I’m half-way tough, I realize how I’m not one bit when I talk to soldiers when I’m out and realize the things that they go through. I can’t imagine facing what those guys face every day.”
Audio / Luke Bryan recalls one of his favorite Fourth of July memories.
Luke Bryan (4th of July memories) OC: …we used to. :21 “Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with my family. I was always kind of in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all the fireworks and my nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all the fireworks. But, it was always a great memory, and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”
Audio / Luke Bryan says every year his plans for the Fourth of July include water and fireworks.
Luke Bryan (Fourth of July plans) OC: …on the fourth. :15 “My plans for the Fourth are always to be on the boat somewhere in the water, and buy a few fireworks, send ‘em up in the sky for the boys, but it’s always a boat and water, whether it’s in the Gulf of Mexico, whether it’s in Georgia…we don’t have a total plan yet, but we’ll be having a good time on the fourth.”
Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THEIR FOURTH OF JULY TRADITIONS.
Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July) OC: …it’s perfect. :29
TAE: “One of my favorite Fourth of July traditions – I’d say it’s a tradition ‘cause it happens every year, but I’m not always able to make it – is that we go to my grandparents in Oklahoma, and we all line up lawn chairs right in front of their garage and we just light fireworks. We always do it far away and then we light it, and we always run back and watch the fireworks, but that’s probably one of my favorite memories.” MADDIE: “My birthday is July 7th, so I always get built-in fireworks for my birthday, and sometimes we actually celebrate it on the 4th, because there’s fireworks everywhere, so it’s perfect.”
Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES. NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
Parker McCollum (Fourth of July) OC: …days of my life. :23 “My favorite Fourth of July memories growing up are actually kind of dangerous now that I think about it, but we used to have fireworks wars where we’d shoot like roman candles and bottle rockets. We’d always go to my grandma’s house, pop fireworks and we’d end up shooting ’em at each other and having wars; no eye protection, no nothing, just shooting bottle rockets at each other’s faces. But it was so fun; some of the best days of my life.”
Audio / PRISCILLA BLOCK SAYS THE FOURTH OF JULY IS ONE OF HER FAVORITE HOLIDAYS.
Priscilla Block (Fourth of July) OC: …we get crazy. :26 “I love Fourth of July. I usually always have a Fourth of July party. It is known that there is a slip-n-slide at my house on Fourth of July. You know, it’s such a great holiday to just bring friends together and, I don’t know, we get wild on the Fourth. We get crazy.”
Audio / Sam Hunt talks about what he and his family did over the Fourth of July holiday when he was growing up in Georgia.
Sam Hunt (Fourth of July) OC: …good time. :39
“My granddad on the other side of my family, he would always take a lot of pride…fireworks were actually, I’m from Georgia, and most of them were illegal, I’m pretty sure, growing up. But over in Alabama, that’s where all the firework stands were, and we only had to drive 10, 15 minutes to get to the Alabama line, so we could go get a bundle of fireworks pretty easy. But he would always take a lot of pride in going and finding all the good stuff, and coming back with a big pile. He’d have his torch out there at the end of the driveway and we’d all eat homemade ice cream and put down towels on the driveway and he’d shoot off fireworks for 30-45 minutes. Such a good time.”
Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS HIS HOMETOWN OF WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA WOULD THROW EVERY YEAR.
Travis Denning (Fourth of July) OC: …will love. :51
“Fourth of July in Warner Robins, Georgia is an event. It’s something else. In fact, forever they’ve thrown an Independence Day concert, and back in the day, it was huge. It was the biggest thing they did all year. They would actually have the concert in the MAC (McConnell-Talbert Stadium), which was the high school football stadium that Warner Robins and Northside and Houston County shared. I mean, one year they had Wynonna play and then they had Josh Turner one year, Darius Rucker. I mean it was like a big deal, and there’d be 15,000, 20,000 people there, and I think it’s so cool that there’s a little bit of a legacy of people coming together in that town and making something happen, you know? I’ll never forget going to those shows and thinking, I was more proud of what the city had done. I was like, ‘That’s just so cool that they could put together a show like this, an event that everybody will love.”
Audio / TYLER HUBBARD TALKS ABOUT HIS FOURTH OF JULY PLANS WITH HIS FAMILY.
Tyler Hubbard (Fourth of July) OC: …that freedom. :43
“Yeah, I love the Fourth of July. A lot of great memories growing up, watching fireworks, being with family, hanging out. And even to this day we have a tradition where we try to go to Sun Valley where my wife is from and hang out in the mountains and take the kids and just spend a week out there just kind of enjoying life and taking it all in, and obviously, we still love to do the fireworks and hang out, but also just kind of reflect and be thankful for the country we live in, the sacrifices made so that we can live here and be free and it’s just a special, special holiday. We’re always so grateful and thankful for the people who served this country and the sacrifice that’s made with their families and everything else, and pay honor and tribute to those who fight so hard for that freedom.”
In recognition of his standing as one of country music’s most innovative talents, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has invited 10-time Grammy nominee Eric Church to be its 18th artist-in-residence.
The museum’s annual artist-in-residence series spotlights an artist with an exemplary body of work and asks the featured artist to create one-of-a-kind performances over multiple evenings. The museum offers its intimate CMA Theater as a blank canvas, with the understanding that the artist will curate shows that inspire appreciation for their talents and vision – often incorporating different themes and special guests.
Church will produce and perform two shows, on Tuesday, August 29th, and Wednesday, August 30th, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets to each performance range from $75 to $500 (plus ticketing fees) with all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit museum’s educational mission. Museum members and Eric Church’s “Church Choir” fan club will have access to a special presale this Thursday (June 22nd) at 10am. Tickets to both shows will be available to the public this Friday (June 23rd), at 10am, on the museum’s website. Sales are limited to four tickets per transaction on a first-come, first-served basis and are non-refundable.
Church joins a prestigious group of past participants that includes 10 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Cowboy Jack Clement opened the series in 2003, and other past honorees include (in chronological order) Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart and John Prine.
“As a student of the rich history of country music’s most prolific artists, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a shrine of reverence for this songwriter’s heart,” shared Church. “I’m honored and humbled to be included in such esteemed company.”
*In addition to serving as 2023 artist-in-residence, Church will also be the subject of a new exhibition at the museum exploring the life and career of the CMA Entertainer of the Year winner. Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson, opens July 13th and will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit is included with museum admission and will run until June 2024.
The artist-in-residence announcement comes ahead of the kickoff of Church’s The Outsiders Revival Tour this Thursday, June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 22 Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater Elle King
June 23 Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24 Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1 Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8 Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14 Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15 St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21* Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23* Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds North Dakota State Fair
July 27 Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28 Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29 Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4 Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park Cody Jinks
Aug. 5 Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live Cody Jinks
Aug. 11 Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center Cody Jinks
Aug. 12 Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Cody Jinks
Aug. 13* Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24 Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25 Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26 Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8 Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15 Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16 Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29 West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30 Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7* Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15* Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park GoldenSky Festival
As now 10-time GRAMMY nominated superstar Eric Church was in the midst of his first arena tour, having just released what would go on to become the CMA and ACM album of the year and eventually be named one of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” Chief, the burgeoning Church Choir packed into Chattanooga’s Tivoli Theatre for two nights as the singular moment in time was captured on his Caught In The Act live album. Now, as the 17-song project turns 10 years old, Church offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at those nights with the release of a never-before-seen accompanying documentary, Caught In The Act: A Film. Purchase the film HERE to watch exclusively on nugs.net beginning Friday, June 23rd.
“When you’re in the craziness of the moment, you’re not even sure what you’re looking at or experiencing, you just feel that it’s different,” remembers Church. “We went to the Tivoli because everyone in our world – the band, the crew, the fans – knew we were a part of something special and wanted to capture the fire that has got us here. So, we just started rolling cameras as we figured at least we’d have it for posterity. It’s been sitting in the vault, and with the live album celebrating 10 years since its release, it felt like the right time to rewatch and share the journey we’ve been on together.”
The film features full performances of all 17 songs on the album as well as commentary from Church, longtime manager and Q Prime South’s John Peets, producer Jay Joyce – who oversaw not only the live recording but has served as producer for all seven of Church’s studio projects – plus several members of Church’s band and crew, offering rare insight into the Chief’s world in the midst of a run that the New York Times celebrated among the “Best Concerts of 2012,” noting that Church delivered his “post-outlaw anthems… with verve and tension, as if he might not be allowed to for much longer.”
Instead, a decade later, Church maintains his singular status in Country music, performing at stadiums across the Country and earning accolades including the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. And despite that ability to tour at the largest scale, this summer he creates his own path once again, returning to amphitheater venues for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career, with The Outsiders Revival Tour offering a festival-like lineup of rotating artists across varying dates.
Joining the man praised by POLLSTAR for “having already long established himself as one of the most successful touring country artists” on the tour beginning June 22nd are Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
“When I approach touring, I’m always inspired by a new experience, a new way to gather, to express ourselves sonically and visually. Whether it’s solo, in the round, double down; being able to bring a different perspective has always brought out our best creatively,” Church shared when initially announcing the tour. “Well, we have never done an outdoor summer tour. Never headlined amphitheaters. Never brought a summer experience to your town that featured artists we want to share the summer with. Until now. See you in the season of sunshine with some fellow outsiders that shine brightest when the sun goes down.”
The Live Nation-produced tour takes the man celebrated by Forbes for “offering fans a unique experience each night while conjuring up the unpredictability that used to make concerts unforgettable” to 28 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets to all dates are on sale now via EricChurch.com.
Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 16* Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo Rogue Music Festival
June 17* Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country Summer Music Festival
June 22 Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater Elle King
June 23 Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24 Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1 Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8 Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14 Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15 St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21* Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23* Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds North Dakota State Fair
July 27 Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28 Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29 Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4 Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park Cody Jinks
Aug. 5 Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live Cody Jinks
Aug. 11 Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center Cody Jinks
Aug. 12 Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Cody Jinks
Aug. 13* Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24 Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25 Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26 Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8 Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15 Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16 Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29 West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30 Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7* Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15* Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park GoldenSky Festival
Audio / Eric Church explains what it’s like to perform live for his fans.
Eric Church (performing live for him) OC: …your music. :15 “When you write songs and you’re a songwriter, and you see the way those songs affect people’s lives…and some of those times it’s not a life changing event. It’s just them being able to drink beer and party and throw their fists in the air and forget about whatever problems they have. It’s pretty cool when it’s all relatable to your music.”
Audio / Eric Church talks about performing "These Boots" live in concert.
Eric Church (These Boots live) OC: …for the fans. :56 “It’s as identifiable with us as ‘Springsteen’ or ‘Drink In My Hand’ or whatever our No. 1 songs were, and I think for the fact that it probably shouldn’t be that way based on success or radio success or however you want to view it. I think that says a lot about the song, I think it says a lot about how people have related to the song as it is an iconic song for us. Any of our fans, if you ask them to name five or six or seven of their best songs, that’s gonna be in the Top three of everybody’s. I just think it’s cool to have a song like that, you know, that everybody, first of all, takes their boots off and holds them up and they’ve done it since the bars and clubs. So, to watch it go from that to these big venues, it’s just a special song and one that’s pretty gratifying for me that a lot of the word of mouth of that song is the reason people know it now. It’s people who came there early on and took their boot off and told ‘people about it, and not only told ‘em about it, but said when you’re at the show, take your boot off and it turns into a thing, you know? It’s a really cool moment, for not only me, but for the fans.”
“Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, wishing all the fathers out there a very Happy Father’s Day. Here’s to you, Senior. Insert beer can opening sample (sound effect). (laughs)
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and ever-growing career of 10-time GRAMMY nominee and CMA Entertainer of the year Eric Church in its newest exhibition, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson. The exhibit will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his current prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit, which opens July 13 and runs through June 2024, is included with museum admission.
Just announced: “@EricChurch: Country Heart, Restless Soul,” presented by @GibsonGuitar, opens July 13. In celebration, be here July 15 for a writers round feat. songs of @EricChurch, performed by co-writers @LukeLaird, @JeremySpillman, and more.
— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) June 6, 2023
Having long eschewed industry norms with a sound and approach uniquely his own, the man praised by The Wall Street Journal as “knowledgeable and respectful of country’s history, but not shackled by it” has held tight to his artistic identity throughout his more than two decades in Nashville, earning a devoted audience and amassing an impressive list of accolades, including 10 Billboard #1 country radio hits and over 50 million units sold across multiple Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum-certified albums. A revered storyteller, Church has also written or co-written almost all of the songs he has recorded and released. He continues to fill sold-out venues with his raucous live show, as well as challenge his own musical approach with every new level of success he achieves.
“Eric Church has done it his way completely,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “His steadfast artistic vision and authenticity resonate deeply with audiences, and he continues to serve as an important collaborator and renegade role model for generations of country music artists.”
The exhibit will include musical instruments, song manuscripts, stage wear, tour memorabilia, awards, photographs and more from Church’s personal collection. Photos of artifacts featured in the exhibit can be found here. More information about the exhibit can be found on the museum’s website.
Examples of items to be displayed include:
the Harmony H-303 three-quarter-size acoustic guitar that belonged to Church when he was a child.
Ray-Ban Aviator Mirror sunglasses worn by Church onstage.
the Von Dutch trucker hat Church bought at a Mississippi truck stop in the late 2000s and began wearing onstage.
the outfit worn by Church on the album cover of The Outsiders and at the CMA Awards in 2013, which includes a Rogue two-tone leather jacket, John Varvatos shirt and Diesel jeans.
a sculpture made from vinyl records of various sizes, which replicates the soundwave of Church’s recording of “Record Year” and was used as a prop in the 2016 music video for the song.
a Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark guitar. Church contributed to the design of the limited-edition guitar and used it on his “Double Down Tour” (2019).
the Tom Ford purple suede jacket that Church wore when he and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in 2021.
In support of the exhibit’s opening, the museum will host a public program, Writers’ Round: The Songs of Eric Church, featuring Luke Laird, Jeremy Spillman and others, on Saturday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The writers will perform and share the stories behind the songs they have crafted with Church. To reserve tickets to the program or learn more about the exhibit, visit the museum’s website.
The exhibit’s announcement comes ahead of Church’s CMA Fest performance at Nissan Stadium this Saturday, June 10 and the kickoff of The Outsiders Revival Tour on June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 10* Nashville, Tenn. / Nissan Stadium CMA Fest
June 16* Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo Rogue Music Festival
June 17* Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country Summer Music Festival
June 22 Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater Elle King
June 23 Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24 Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30 Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1 Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7 Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8 Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14 Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15 St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21* Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23* Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds North Dakota State Fair
July 27 Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28 Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29 Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4 Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park Cody Jinks
Aug. 5 Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live Cody Jinks
Aug. 11 Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center Cody Jinks
Aug. 12 Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Cody Jinks
Aug. 13* Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19 Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24 Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25 Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26 Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8 Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10 George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15 Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16 Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22 Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24 Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29 West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30 Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7* Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15* Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park GoldenSky Festival
Keith Urban returned to ABC’s American Idol for Sunday night’s (May 21st) season finale. He mentored the Top 3 contestants, and he also performed his hit, “Wild Heart,” for all the dreamers on the show. Iam Tongi was crowned the winner of this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWhrJJUL2w
Keith Urban will release Volume 2 of a special No. 1’s exclusive vinyl at Walmart on August 11th. It includes 12 No. 1 Hits from his entire catalog of albums. The vinyl will be on exclusive purple/grape vinyl and will include a limited-edition poster inside. The track list includes such chart-toppers as “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” “Break On Me,” “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert), “You Gonna Fly,” “Once in A Lifetime,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and “Making Memories of Us,” as well as many more. Volume 1 is also still available and features “Somebody Like You,” “The Fighter” (with Carrie Underwood), “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Days Go By,” “You’ll Think of Me” and “Long Hot Summer,” among others.
Eric Church is set to release the THIRD pressing of his 2015 album, Mr. Misunderstood, on blue vinyl on June 9th. The collection features the title track, “Chattanooga Lucy,” “’Round Here Buzz,” “Holdin’ My Own” and “Record Year,” among others.
Alan Jackson was the subject of a recent episode of the game show Jeopardy with the answer being “What is ‘Chattahoochie?'”
Tyler Hubbard surprised fans with a pop-up show at Nashville’s popular Broadway hotspot, The Stage, on Saturday night (May 20th) to celebrate the one-year release of his No. 1 debut solo single, “5 Foot 9.” He also celebrated his second No. 1 for “Dancin’ In The Country.”
